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64 of 68 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent, but very biased, January 21, 2006
I have been doing Astronomy since I got my first scope (Edmund Scientific 3" reflector) in 1954, and I teach Astronomy at the college here. I still found a lot of useful tips and tricks in this book. The reason for my rating is the author's complete bias toward Dobsonian scopes (and Orion). Plus, they don't like computerized scopes at all. In a field like Astronomy, where the technology is flying forward, it is all too easy for old-timers to get caught up in the "always been good enough for me" syndrome. Just because I learned to find that elusive object by star hopping doesn't mean everyone should. I was particularly struck by their comparison of go-to scopes with auto transmissions in cars. It was obvious they prefer stick shifts as well as Dobsonian scopes. If the Schmidt and Mak scopes were so bad, why are so many experienced astronomers buying them? Same with goto. They are very popular for a reason. If you can ignore the glaring bias, you will get a lot of useful info from this book.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
The astronomy book I was looking for, July 20, 2005
I really enjoyed this book. Where other Astronomy books focus exclusively on the hardware, or on the heavens, this book covers a wider range of topics. From telescope tricks, to how to meet up with astronomy buffs, to what to drink (or not drink) on your viewing nights. While the other books are helpful to teach the theory, this book is the glue that binds the night sky theory with the telescope in the back of the car on a mountain side reality.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
This Book is a must for the Amateur Astronomer!, December 13, 2005
I have been all over the Internet and have perused just about every bookstore in the Dallas area searching for books and information on amateur astronomy. I was very fortunate to make this book one of my first purchases. The authors are very experienced and passionate amateur astronomers and they provide a wealth of valuable information from purchasing telescopes and equipment all the way through observation techniques and astronomical concepts. This book is a very recent publication and is filled with ideas or "hacks" that center around the very latest technology and equipment that is available in the field of amateur astronomy. The main philosophy around the book is that one does not have to spend thousands of dollars on telescopes, mounts, lens', etc in order to enjoy the hobby at a very high level. This was something that was very important to me since I do not have a very large budget for purchasing my first serious amateur telescope.
It is also worth mentioning that the authors are very biased torwards using Newtonian Reflector telescopes with Dobsonian style mounts, however they do cover all of the telescope types and thier respective advantages, disadvantages, etc.
Overall, this book is a must purchase for anyone who is interested in amateur astronomy and who is looking for that first step. There is information in this book that will also appeal to the more experienced telescope enthusiasts, especially where the telescope modifications are concerned. Amateur Astronomy can get quite expensive and this book will certainly save many beginners from needlessly wasting money on telescopes and equipment!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Good general read for beginners, especially those buying a dobsonian., July 6, 2005
I found this book to be a fun read. The authors are clearly passionate about their hobby and write with a style that is engaging, unpretentious and clear. This book is targeted towards beginners who are new to the hobby. I especially enjoyed the front chapters dealing with topics such as observing site etiquette, what to wear and what to bring. The beginner will certainly benefit from reading this and learn not to commit the faux pas of driving up to a star party with headlights blazing. There is also useful and clear introductory information such as finding constellations, star hopping, reading star atlases and observing tips and skills. The authors are clearly very skewed towards Dobsonians and this book reflects this bent. A bulk of the book is devoted to these instruments such as cleaning the mirror, center spotting a mirror, collimation and improving the Dob. This is great if you have one but not too great if you have chosen to start out with an equatorially mounted telescope or a SCT. There is consequently no information on polar alignment and the more rigorous drift alignment. There is also scant/no information on attainable basic astrophotography techniques that are accessible to an amateur with a tracking mount, such as planetary webcaming and guided deep sky photography with a short focal length scope or a mounted 35mm camera. I would encourage those with these pursuits in mind to consider other options besides a Dob before making a choice. All in all, this is a useful book and a welcomed addition to bookstore shelves. There are so many over-colorful over-graphic introductory astronomy books that are of little value to the serious beginner, and thus this book is entirely relevant.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Outstanding Practical Book on Astronomy, April 17, 2007
This is an excellent book. It contains information about choosing an eyepiece, how to tune your telescope for best results, and observing tips among many, many others. What I liked best is that the authors are very specific--on eyepieces, for example, they discuss which models of which brands will do what best, and what the difference between a $30 and a $600 eyepiece is. You could spend quite a bit of time in the hobby before you figure this kind of thing out on your own. This book will save you time, and save you money especially if you are just starting out. The authors are careful to state that they are offering their opinions, and opinions differ (sometimes between the authors). Most of the "hacks" are a page, or a couple of pages long, so this book lends itself well to bathroom reading. There is an excellent table of contents that will help you find the information you are most interested in. It's also fun just to browse this excellent book.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Great for many beginners, but not all, July 29, 2005
Review summary: You definitely want this book if you are a rank beginner at star gazing and are _not_ interested in purchasing or using a computerized "go-to" telescope. Get this book now! If you don't fit this category, read on, as this book may still appeal to you.
"Astronomy Hacks" is an excellent introductory book for "hands-on" amateur star gazers, but there are some caveats of which the potential reader should be aware.
Oriented towards the neophyte (of the 65 hacks, 41 are classified as having a "beginner" level of complexity and only 4 as "expert"), this book provides a wealth of valuable tips and techniques that will get a beginning star gazer up to speed with a minimum of fuss. Add some at-the-eyepiece experience, and the new kid on the block will be expeditiously transformed into an intermediate observer.
The equipment-specific hacks in this book are heavily weighted towards the Dobsonian reflector type of telescope. Although the authors readily admit their bias towards this type of telescope, this bias limits the appeal of "Astronomy Hacks." Thus, if your potential interest in star gazing includes hunting down the objects you wish to view by referring to star charts and moving your scope from one field of view to the next until the desired object is found, and then, as you observe the object, manually nudging the scope continuously in order to keep the object in the field of view, then "Astronomy Hacks" is for you.
However, if you think you'd rather use a computerized scope that can locate an object you wish to view and then automatically track that object as you observe through the eyepiece, then most of the telescope-specific hacks in this book will not be applicable to your observing equipment. Nevertheless, many of the observing and accessory tips included in "Astronomy Hacks" provide essential information for any beginning star gazer, no matter which type of scope one will ultimately use.
The intermediate user of a Dobsonian reflector will find this book to be an excellent collection of all those great tips that have been encountered elsewhere but are perhaps half-forgotten. Intermediate users of other telescope types will likely find "Astronomy Hacks" to be less worthwhile.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Astronomy in 65 "Hacks", July 14, 2005
Astronomy Hacks
The Thompson writing team have moved to a new subject from their usual subject of evaluating computer components and assembling one's own computer. As they write, "Our editor emailed us one day to say that O'Reilly was thinking about doing an astronomy book and to ask if we knew any amateur astronomers who might be interested in writing it. We sent a one-sentence reply, "Other than us, you mean?" In this book they again demonstrate their ability to cut "to the chase" and clarify a complex and often confusing subject.
The title of this books sounds as if it would interest mainly young Geeks who would like to subvert the universe by hacking the "code" of the universe. However, O'Reilly is attempting to return the definition of the work "hack" to its original meaning. They state: "Hacks are tools, tips, and tricks that help users solve problems. They are aimed at intermediate-level power users and scripters."
This book is actually aimed primarily at those who think they might be interested in astronomy, but have a rudimentary knowledge of the hobby. That said, there are many pearls in the book that will also enlighten the intermediate to advanced hobbyist. Subject matter ranges from prevention of hypothermia, with practical tips on dressing for early morning observing sessions, to planning observing sessions, to hacks to improve the performance and accuracy of your scope. An area I found helpful is a section on deriving magnification, field of view, and exit pupil size of different scopes and eyepieces. I have all the equations somewhere, but here they're all listed in a convenient "hack," with the importance and application of the various parameters listed. In all, there are 65 chapters or hacks, generally covering the most important areas for the beginning astronomer.
The Thompsons have never been shy about naming names, particularly brand names. The newcomer to astronomy is often overwhelmed by the choices that they face, what scope do I buy, what eyepieces do I buy, what type of mount is best, is it worth buying a GoTo scope, how much do I need to spend, and what can I actually see with my choice? They name brand names, and give a clear idea of the capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses of various types and apertures of telescopes and eyepieces. Necessarily, these recommendations are based on their own personal likes, and would likely create a lively discussion in an astronomy club. But they are an excellent place to begin developing one's own opinions on the subject.
This book is highly recommended.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
A great book and resource, August 27, 2005
If you've ever wanted to learn astronomy as a hobby or as a serious amateur you'll find everything you need to get started and well along the path in this book. In addition to the things you would expect to find in a book like this (star names, constellations, Messier objects, etc.) the authors also cover things like etiquette when observing with groups, how to choose binoculars and the right telescope for you. The tips on how to choose the right telescope and how to avoid being cheated is well worth the price of the book by itself.
Of course it is filled with information on identifying stars and constellations, using the celestial coordinate system, observing in different environments, observing shallow-space and deep-space objects, and photographing the stars. But the tips on things like eliminating astigmatism, eliminating diffraction, and tuning your telescope are some of the most interesting as well as the most likely to make your hobby really enjoyable. Astronomy Hacks is highly recommended to anyone interested in astronomy and can move you from novice to advanced amateur.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Best Book, March 27, 2007
I think it's best book you must see who are interested in starwathcing.
All is in there.
I have hundreds books about astronomy and starwatching, but this is Best of bests!!!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
An excellent guide to getting the most out of amateur astronomy, October 20, 2006
As a boy, I remember often sleeping out in our back yard on warm summer nights in the small Southern Utah town where I grew up. More often than not, I slept under the stars, with nothing to obstruct the excellent views of the sky (largely unobscured by the ever-encroaching city lights that now cloud most nightime skies). I think it must have been those evenings when I learned from my brothers about the different constellations, and the milky way, that my appreciation for the broad expanse of a star-studded night sky must have grown.
As a teenager, I received a small, cheap telescope for Christmas one year, out of which I milked the best possible views of the planets I possibly could. The first time I was miraculaously able to pinpoint the tiny disk of Saturn flanked by its rings through that wobbly scope was a magical moment.
As an adult, I have far less time to devote to the hobby, but I still enjoy looking out into the very depths of eternity on a dark night when the milky way paints a broad swath across the sky. Despite the limited time I spend under the stars I still enjoy reading about the topic. When I heard O'Reilly was creating a Hacks book on astronomy, I was eager to get my hands on a copy.
Imagine being able to cull the best information and guidance out of years of attending star parties, years of tips gleaned from rubbing shoulders with the 'old-timers', and putting it all into one book. Such a book would probably be something like Astronomy Hacks, in which long-time amatuer astronomers Robert and Barbara Thompson and their colleagues share a number of useful tips and hints devoted to helping you get the most enjoyment and fulfillment out of amateur astronomy.
The book contains 65 'hacks', each a short article about a particular topic in amatuer observing. A wide range of topics is covered, from selecting equipment, to guidance on observing tactics, to software you can use to enhance your experience. Some of my favorite topics included selecting the right set of eyepieces for your scope, working your way through a single constellation to become more familiar with that particular piece of sky, tips for completing a successfule Messier marathon, and recommendations on how to get the best scope without breaking your bank. You'll find useful information regardless of whether you've got a lot or a little to spend.
The book's authors do a very good job at providing lots of detailed and useful information in each hack. The book is authoritative and its suggestions are backed by plenty of experience in the field. In addition to the technical nitty-gritty, the book also provides a good introduction to the culture of amatuer astronomy and will help you "ease-in" as you get acquainted with your local group of astronomy enthusiasts.
Overall, the book provides heaps of practical information and tips that might take you years of experience to gain otherwise. The book repects its audience, there's no dumbing down here, just plenty of what's useful to help you get more of your time under the heavens. If there's one thing lacking from the book it's that there's only 65 hacks, whereas most of the Hacks series have 100. But nonetheless, what's there is very good.
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